What We're Hearing: Draft Combine Buzz and Trade Market Rumblings

BUFFALO, New York – As the NHL Draft Combine winds down, it isn’t just fitness tests and interview questions making noise. With general managers, agents, and scouting staffs all in the same place, it’s also a fertile ground for trade whispers and roster shakeups.

And this year? There’s plenty of it.

I’ll preface this by saying this is the Silly Season™. All sorts of things are tossed around by managers to see what sticks. It happens every year, and every year rumours that come from a base of truth simply don’t end up happening. But still, we listen.

Here's what we're hearing:

Mitch Marner and the Sunshine State

Mitchell Marner will be the biggest name on the free agent market come July 1st, but he may not make it to that date.

Unsurprisingly, his name has been swirling around Buffalo this week. One source close to the ground floor on the situation had this to say on Los Angeles being the front-runner, “That Marner to LA report is pure rubbish.”

While the west coast may not be leading the pack at this moment, perhaps the east coast is.

There’s real smoke that the Florida Panthers could be gearing up to make a run at Marner. Word is that Toronto has opened the door to a sign-and-trade scenario, where they ink Marner to a max-term extension (eight years) and then flip him to recoup some level of value.

The Leafs know that Marner is all but assured to leave. For the acquiring team, moving a draft pick to avoid a bidding war is a very palatable cost. Whether Marner is keen for that route is another thing. Would he sacrifice the eighth year to be able to be courted like a king and maximize his value on a seven-year deal?

The Panthers, for their credit, are known for their aggressive swings. And this would certainly fall under that category. In this world, you’d have to imagine that Sam Bennett would not be retained and Anton Lundell would be elevated to the second-line centre role.

Marner moves out of the pressure cooker of Toronto to the sunny disposition of Florida with its tax-free status, immaculate vibes, and constant Cup contention.

Canucks Brass Stay Home

Canucks GM, Patrik Allvin and President of Hockey Ops, Jim Rutherford were noticeably absent from the Combine this week. Assistant GM, Cammi Granato was in attendance. 

However, in a year where the decentralized draft will limit face-to-face discussions among managers, their absence was noteworthy.

The lack of involvement in the interview process with the 2025 draft picks indicates that the team is quite likely planning on moving their 15th overall selection. Rutherford hinted as much when discussing the team’s need to trade for a second line centre when he said, “It'll be expensive, but it will also be very expensive not to get one.”

Still, if the team was looking to strike a deal, being in the same hotel as all the league executives for a week could have helped facilitate that.

Jonathan Toews Heading Home?

Two years removed from his last NHL game, there’s some distractingly loud buzz that Jonathan Toews will make his return to the league with the Winnipeg Jets. 

It would be a full-circle moment for the former Blackhawks captain. Born and raised in Manitoba, the idea of Toews finishing his career at home, on an already-built Cup contender, has weight. Questions about his durability and role remain, but no one is asking him to be a 1C anymore.

Toews would be insulated in the Jets lineup, providing immense experience and depth down the lineup. And will very likely come at a bargain basement price.

It would be a great story if it happens, and at this point they appear to be the favourites to land him..

Movement at the Top of the Draft

We don’t often see movement at the top of the draft. In fact, you’d have to go back to 2008 to find a top-five pick moved ahead of the selection when Toronto moved the seventh-overall pick and two conditional picks to the Islanders for the fifth overall selection. The Islanders then flipped seventh for ninth and picked up another second-rounder in the process.

But we might just see some fireworks at the top of the 2025 class.

It’s been widely discussed that Chicago has made inquiries about moving up from the third-overall position. They’re likely eyeing Michael Misa and know it’s unlikely he gets past San Jose at No. 2.

Additionally, it sounds as if Utah is open to listening on the No. 4 pick. But it also appears as though they're very sweet on Brady Martin. He was one of the players they took out for dinner this week and he's been impressing everyone with his quick wit and charm. Not to mention his pugilistic, playoff-style on-ice game. 

Speaking of Utah, don’t be surprised if they take a healthy run at Marner if he gets to Free Agency.

Meanwhile, Columbus has two bullets in their chamber to unload if the right deal comes together. They could package No. 14 and No. 20 to target an established player. The Blue Jackets want to accelerate their timeline and it’s believed they have already had exploratory talks with multiple clubs.

The Rossi Fallout in Minnesota

From everything we’re hearing, Marco Rossi is as good as gone from Minnesota. It’s been trending that way for some time, but sources indicate that the two sides have likely passed the point of no-return. The Wild hoped to replace him with Brock Nelson in free agency. But after he signed with Colorado, the hole down the middle became even more pronounced.

Rossi’s value should be solid, especially coming off a 60-point sophomore season. But two factors could impact the return. Firstly, teams know Minnesota is in a bit of a bind. As the old saying goes, they throw anvils, not life preservers. Secondly, at 5-foot-9, the Austrian centre doesn’t fit the physical profile that most teams desire for down the middle of their line up. 

Don’t expect a blockbuster return, instead, watch for the Wild to do a two-part deal: move Rossi for futures, then flip those or other assets for a centre they believe can fit their demands more actively.

Changes on the Broadway Blueline

One player whose name has been consistently swirling around this week is K’Andre Miller. It appears the Rangers have alerted teams that he is available in a trade, but clubs are also considering the Offer Sheet route as Miller will become a Restricted Free Agent on July 1st.

Sources indicate that the Rangers aren’t going to deal him for a song and have a contingency plan to match any reasonable Offer Sheet through clearing cap in other manners.

That said, there seems to be a healthy market for the 25-year-old left shot defender.